Google Sets Its Sights on Apple

[Cloudane]

even going so far as comparing the company to Big Brother from 1984

That's rich coming from Google, with camera vans going down every street, a database of wifi points and locations, harvesting of personal data, dodgy EULAs giving them massive control over users etc. The only one closer to Big Brother than them is Facebook!

Oh but it's okay for Google to do it because "we do no evil". Hmmmmmm, I wonder about that.

Bit dodgy that Apple is making so many enemies though. There's never a day goes by without a story about them declaring war on another big corporation (or vice versa). When it comes to Google they do have a point - their only innovation is in web search, as the phone contains no innovation whatsoever (it's just a poor man's copy of the iPhone, much like Ubuntu 10 is a poor man's copy of OS X), always playing catch-up and rip-off. So Apple do have a point. It's scary that they're making so many enemies though.

 

[Stridder44]

Yeah i remember that. I wanted HD-DVD to win

Why It was an inferior product. Blu-ray is not perfect by any means, but it's a hell of a lot better than HD-DVD.

 

[ChazUK]

That's debatable and, more importantly, it's a non sequitur.
I think inkswamp's entire point is that they are not doing the same thing.
As I mentioned earlier, that wasn't a public statement, wasn't a quote and is in dispute as to exactly what was said.
Because Nokia wasn't smart enough to know that they needed to worry about the iPhone.

I gey what you and Inkswamp are digging at now so I also own an apology to Inkswamp as well as you.

I gues I've been suckered into the very media hype I despise.

Apologies.

 

[Reed Rothchild]

This seems to be a very weak and unsubstantiated front page "article". Macrumors must have noticed that "Google v Apple" stories generate the most adsense revenue - which is a nice tipping of the hat towards Google. It's a win win for both .

 

[NSMonkey]

You are right. It appears I have taken those articles completely out of context (what a fool!). My mistake....
NSNMonkey 1 - Chaz 0

Well that's very cool and kind of unusual to actually concede a point. Cheers!

For the record, I'm not saying that Apple is somehow "above" making denigrating remarks about their competitors or something silly like that, I just didn't agree that the two companies' remarks about each other can be dismissed as equivalent.

 

[skate71290]

Love It

This is incredible, now it's all put together, it will be Apple Vs Google WW3 style the great thing is for all us consumers, competition may drive prices down, make buying Apple products less costly and see more features per update, hopefully? and i just want that to do something more about AppleTV and improve their h.264 codec, and can anyone tell me what UK available phones use Android OS as i would like to test it out, Regards, skate71290

Edit: Although this might mean that Google Search will change to Bing, and we will never see Google Maps again or a Google Finance Widget on the iPhone i hate Microsoft Bing, i hate Yahoo! Stocks Widget, and i love Google Maps

 

[Stridder44]

did apple celebrate Pac-Man turning 30 on their front page? no. that's yet another reason why google is way more awesome than apple.

... also, you can actually play that google pac man logo! (just wait for it to load)

If this is all it takes to persuade you, I have a full website of games you can play here. Now I suppose will you follow my every word and tell the intrawebs how awesome I am.

That's rich coming from Google, with camera vans going down every street, a database of wifi points and locations, harvesting of personal data, dodgy EULAs giving them massive control over users etc. The only one closer to Big Brother than them is Facebook!

Oh but it's okay for Google to do it because "we do no evil". Hmmmmmm, I wonder about that.

Bit dodgy that Apple is making so many enemies though. There's never a day goes by without a story about them declaring war on another big corporation (or vice versa). When it comes to Google they do have a point - their only innovation is in web search, as the phone contains no innovation whatsoever (it's just a poor man's copy of the iPhone, much like Ubuntu 10 is a poor man's copy of OS X), always playing catch-up and rip-off. So Apple do have a point. It's scary that they're making so many enemies though.

Enemies? What enemies? Being sensationalist much? There have been people that hate Apple since the beginning of time, just like there have been people who hate Microsoft, or whatever company X. What enemies are you talking about? Competition ≠ enemy. Apple targeted Flash, not Adobe. They clarified it themselves. Microsoft and Apple have been picking at each other for eons. Google has been throwing a fit lately like a whiny child, blaming Apple as the source of its' suffering.

 

[freebooter]

Google vs Apple.

It's like Stalin vs Hitler. While both were odiously totalitarian in spirit, the Nazis had the initial edge in speed, innovation, and marketing/cult-appeal. But their philosophy and early success made them arrogant and over confident, and they made enemies wherever they went. The USSR eventually crushed them with her size, resources, and strategic alliances.

Apple could learn something from that.

 

[rdowns]

Google does not know how to turn a good idea into a polished end-user product. Most of their services are in beta forever. I interviewed with Google, and even my interviewers mentioned the fact that everything seems to stay in beta forever. The only thing that Google does well is search, and search is the only real generator of ad revenue for them. They are now trying to branch out with their ad placements to other areas, but the bottom line is that the end goal is always ad revenue and not the product itself. However, only the smartest people work for Google, and as long as Google makes a lot of money and can afford to employ the smartest people, Google will be a real threat to the market share for any competitor, including Apple.

What Apple should do is accept the challenge from Google and compete with Google head-to-head, including search. Search is the only thing that is missing from the Apple's product portfolio, and I believe they don't have to look in far places. Yahoo is right down the road from them.

To me, Google has turned into an evil entity - the one that turns on its old friend and stabs him in the back. I want to take sides and vote with my computing patterns, including search. I do not want to go exclusively to Google any time I need to find something, but frankly, Google is the only real authority in search. I wish Apple would buy Yahoo and turn it into a real search competitor to Google.

Excellent post.

With Google opening up these new fronts in their war with Apple, Apple needs to open one in search. I have always said Apple shouldn't get into search but Google's moves have changed my mind. making Google defend their search business can only help Apple in the other areas.

 

[mrochester]

It really seems like Google are turning up the heat.

 

[AlmostThere]

This seems to be a very weak and unsubstantiated front page "article".

Have to agree - the comparisons and jibes are simply hot air playing up to the media. Apple and Google only clash superficially, although Mac users in general seem particularly unable to see past this.

There is a space-race, of sorts, going on between the two companies but the goals are completely different. While Apple's goal is to build the shiniest and fastest rocket (they do), Google are looking to deliver the change in perspective that comes from seeing the Earth from space.

Google simply need some of their own rockets to get them into space - and when your focus (Apple / Mac users) is on shiny rockets, that is all you tend to see.

While the iPhone, iPad and Apple computers are outstanding devices, the ability to search nearly all of the information on the planet from a simple web page, to view anywhere on the planet through Google Earth or Maps, or to translate between any of 50+ languages at the click of a button are the really world-changing and breathtaking steps forward that can touch billions of lives.

(Yes, Google products could have better interfaces, and they face tough choices with places like China, and they tread a fine line in terms of personal data when it comes to helping *you* finding the information *you* are looking for ... but nobody should lose sight over which of these companies is really bringing change to the world, especially when you step out of over-privileged wealth that enables someone to become a Mac user.)

 

[AlmostThere]

With Google opening up these new fronts in their war with Apple, Apple needs to open one in search. I have always said Apple shouldn't get into search but Google's moves have changed my mind. making Google defend their search business can only help Apple in the other areas.

Search is not a design problem. Improving computers and mobile devices is. If Apple built the devices Google needed, there wouldn't be any conflict.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Is Google joking? I mean seriously, all this "1984" talk and "the man, draconian future" nonsense. Is Google ***** kidding?

They have probably one of the strongest monopolies in the entire tech industry. Yes, more than Microsoft, since Apple computers have been more competition for them than ever. Google, one company, two men and a mole of a CEO, controlling ALL our information, and being very insensitive towards users privacy. Google is the single biggest hypocrite I've ever heard, they're just jumping on the anti-Apple bandwagon to get all the douche Google fanboys cheering on the sidelines, not even realizing that Google exemplifies EVERYTHING they are saying about Apple, in the worst of ways.

My Google how you've changed.

Best post in the entire thread.

The moment Google abuses that information and people react to it, you will see the biggest collapse of a company ever seen.
I really don't think Google has been focused keenly on the consumer for a while. They are more focused on becoming a huge company with tentacles into all information possible. There is where the Apple/Google split begins. As Google becomes more successful, it is possible you will see their entire operation disintegrate due to a lousy MO. Jobs has always been about making beneficial devices or software that help enable people; there's a lot of good in his underlying motives and it allows his company to thrive. Google is still trying to catch up to Apple's R&D, being a tagalong in the market. If they ever get out front, I'd be surprised if they can become an innovator like Apple has been.

 

[rish]

Tackle Time

As of right now, there are no ad generating apps on my phone. All apps with Admob I've removed.

As of now no more Google search on my iPhone, I've moved to Yahoo search.

As of now no more use of Gmail and no more of me encouraging people to use it.

As of now I will stop using Google maps on my iPhone. And I will go on and on and on and advocate the same to my friends and family.

Steve was bang on re Googles mantra " Don't do Evil" but heres the crux, as they've generated investors it's ultimately what they've become.

If over a short period of time I can move 12 people to the Mac and it's products, then over a year I should be able to move off plenty from Google. I'm OCD so I know I can do this. Day one is right now.

 

[macsmurf]

Google has been throwing a fit lately like a whiny child, blaming Apple as the source of its' suffering.

Google isn't suffering. At all.

 

[rish]

I agree; Great Post.

Best post in the entire thread.

The moment Google abuses that information and people react to it, you will see the biggest collapse of a company ever seen.
I really don't think Google has been focused keenly on the consumer for a while. They are more focused on becoming a huge company with tentacles into all information possible. There is where the Apple/Google split begins. As Google becomes more successful, it is possible you will see their entire operation disintegrate due to a lousy MO. Jobs has always been about making beneficial devices or software that help enable people; there's a lot of good in his underlying motives and it allows his company to thrive. Google is still trying to catch up to Apple's R&D, being a tagalong in the market. If they ever get out front, I'd be surprised if they can become an innovator like Apple has been.

Well observed.

 

[Mackan]

LOL. You've been listening too much to propaganda. Google is not more open than Apple. They both have their areas where they protect their profit interests. Both companies are in this business for profit.

How you can come to the conclusion that Google is not more open than Apple is beyond me. But nothing surprises me on these forums.

 

[macsmurf]

Well observed.

And of course, in true MacRumors style, mostly wrong. However, it is true that if Google abused their market position, the company would be destroyed. So they don't.

Google has been the driving force behind the internet for more than a decade. To say they aren't innovative will just embarrass you if you accidentally come across people who know a bit about the history of the internet.

Google made "simple" search the most popular way of searching in the world using a highly innovative and scalable search algorithm. Google has been at the forefront of working with large distributed systems for a long time. Google popularized Ajax and redefined what you could do with a website. Even the Google business model was something completely new in the early days of the internet. I could go on.

Google continues to bring out products that makes a difference. Apple does that too. They were bound to collide at some point.

 

[haulis]

I think we tend to blow a lot of this out of proportion. At the end of they day both Apple and Google know that they are successful at what they do and I really doubt they hate each other as much as we think. I can definitely see that companies can grow apart based on the markets they are playing in, but it seems that the direct digs have been more for employees and developers in order to drum up support within the company. It makes thing interesting and as I consumer I will sit back, smile and watch the competitiveness increase, which will only help us, the consumer.

In fact this is the first time where I have had a really difficult time in deciding what my next phone will be where as before it was an obvious choice.

 

[ValSalva]

I don't think this MacRumors article is unsubstantiated. Watch the entire I/O conference and you'll see all the obvious jabs at Apple.

This will be a battle with two flawed giants: Apple with its closed environment hostile to developers. While Apple micromanages app stores and loses focus on its core business the other competitors will catch up.

Then there's Google the giant that created an advertising dynasty with what amounts to a license to print money. Their major flaw is that there is no clear visionary in place. They waste a tremendous amount of money/resources on ill conceived, pie in the sky projects by engineers disconnected from reality. Google will eventually win in the mobile space simply because they are huge. The Google tsunami is heading to Apple's shores.

 

[Jobsian]

Google is EXACTLY what Mac and Apple product users should LOVE!

I want Google to battle Apple fiercely on all fronts.

Competition will force Apple to actually consider its users. A Google Chrome OS and Android could force Apple to continually update its products to be not slight improvements over the former models but rather products that actually compete with Google's at every step. Frequent updates with better components that provide substantial updates.

I hope Google truly battles Apple on every product Apple sells. I don't care whether it's MP3 players, routers, displays, smartphone OS, mobile computers, professional computers, tablets, and etc. I want Google to truly go for it and make Apple give a damn about its customers by forcing Apple to provide better products in comparison with Google. Chrome OS could really be the start of something big and benefit all of us Mac users more than OS X could benefit us.

I look forward to this new Google gunning for Apple at every step of the way.

Exactly right. Anyone wishing for a monopoly either way is the unwitting supporter of death to the consumer: privacy, choice, innovation etc

I've just finished watching the full froyo keynote which was kindly posted on page 1 and by god are they gunning for Apple! Seriously, watch it if you haven't already. This can only be good for us. I do worry about possible less google integration on my Apple products in the future though.

On a principled level, I'm more comfortable with Google's stated open and seemingly benevolent policy however I do wonder whether it's ultimately just a question of honesty seeing as they're just another behemoth corporation which must legally prioritise profit for it's shareholders, eschewing any sense of morality if it dares get in the way.

Finally, I have to state this here to release some of the excitement/anxiety flooding me at present, consider it my signature: I really hope we see a new MacBook Air at WWDC, the best notebook ever created by any manufacturer in the history of computers imo.

 

[pubwvj]

Evil has been done

Google has lost their way.
Their soul is bogged in mud.
They are doing evil. Witness the Wi-Fi data gathering.
Google with their drive-by shootings is Big Brother watching.
They need to refocus on their center, their core.
Google was very good at search engines and ads.
Focus. See clearly.

 

[Erwin-Br]

I see the poor fanboys are really upset about Google jabbing at Apple during their keynote. Pathetic, considering Apple has been taking jabs at Microsoft for years during events. Apple even took it a step further with those TV ads trying to insult instead of inform.

 

[jb1280]

Google is really good at making anything that is technically possible available, but this is done best when they control all aspects of the product. Things such as search, online services, etc.

To me it's still not apparent that the are going to be able to deliver on 100% of the things that they are trying to promote here. A major problem with Google is they fail to realize limitations that are beyond their control.

With Google Books and Google Scholar, there have already been issues.

Let's take the latest version of Android: Google demonstrates a lot of cool features that the OS can now do: Flash, mobile hotspot, over-the-air streaming, really deep wireless connectivity, etc. This is all really cool stuff. There was some engineer who blogged that wireless tethering is at no extra cost. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue, but probably just an ignorance of business reality.

What happens when Verizon creates a terraced pricing scheme for quantity of wireless tethering?

What happens when a Sprint charges an extra $10 for the ability to stream your audio or media from home to your device?

What happens when ATT says no tethering at all on Android devices?

What happens when complaints start about their phone lasting for 2 hours when people wirelessly tether 4G while watching a video in flash?

Let's take for instance when Google gets into Music and eBooks and alike.

What happens when Google's "openness" butts heads with publishers and music companies?

What exactly is the business model going to be?

Let's take GoogleTV?

What happens when HULU says that, "no, HULU will never touch GoogleTV?"

Simply, is Google going to be successful at creating good working relationships with a lot of very diverse groups, including consumers?

On the other side, you have Apple. Compared to what Google is able to do, everything looks very conservative - but except for a few examples (MobileMe, ATT, AppleTV) they have delivered everything that has been featured in a high-quality way.

Apple may not play terribly well with other tech companies, for instance, Adobe. They, do, however, play better with diverse companies and ultimately consumers.

In the end, they are two very diverse but dynamic companies trying to maximize their influence. I think Google takes the position that they throw everything out there, and 10% succeeds, it's great. Apple, takes a different position, that it doesn't go public until there are demonstrably deliverable features.

 

[pubwvj]

We're already seeing Google stumble badly with social networking initiatives. Google's AdWords cash cow might eventually droop and they have no other revenue stream. Advertising generates something like 98% of Google's revenue.

On my blog I used to get large checks from Google for ads. Now I get a couple of hundred dollars a year. I have a large readership that has expanded in that same time. The problem is Google's been serving up public service announcements and their own ads rather than real ads. I just removed Google ads. I know a lot of other bloggers who've done the same. I sell more ads directly and get a lot more money that way. No need to have Google standing in the middle collecting tolls if they're not going to pass along my percentage.